


The Waves' Lullaby

by shiroderexx



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Boo Seungkwan has had enough, Hawaii, Joshua's fancy cups, Jun is a horny bitch, M/M, Minghao is a clumsy boi, NSFW, Set in Oahu, Seungcheol in a Hawaiian shirt, Smut, Surfer AU, Surfer!Jun, one-night stand, photographer!minghao, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28513533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiroderexx/pseuds/shiroderexx
Summary: Minghao has landed a job in Oahu, Hawaii. A surfboard company has asked him to photograph its new launch before the surfing season starts. However, what he does not expect is to meet Jun, a surfer with a playful smirk. What will happen when you mix wine, Mingyu's advice and the waves' lullaby?
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Yoon Jeonghan, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 13
Kudos: 96





	The Waves' Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> Henlo! I am flinging myself at 2021 with this new fic! A short one-shot about a one-night stand. I hope you enjoy it and please forgive any mistakes I may have made as English is not my first language. Also any inacuracies regarding Hawaiian matters, I have tried to inform myself as much as I could, but I may have made some mistakes as well.
> 
> Always thankful for my trustworthy beta @wootxpia. Love ya <3 (Go read her works if you enjoy royalty aus, you cowards!) 
> 
> Now, without further ado, enjoy my story <3

The quick blinding light of the flash shocked Minghao. He thought he had removed the option but turned out he did not. He was still struggling to understand the many settings of his recently bought camera. It was not like he was an amateur when it came to photography. After all, he had made it his full-time job a couple years ago, but this new camera he had bought for the recent job he had landed was giving him a headache. Truth be told, if not because Mingyu had insisted he would not have bought it. Who cared about the nano whatever? He just wanted to take a great photograph. Well, of course the characteristics of the camera mattered, but Minghao’s strong points did not include machines. If he took a lift, it would stop. If he tried to use the washing machine, he would flood his apartment. That was the reason why he took a liking to photography. You only needed to push a simple bottom and _voilà_ , a picture was taken. Also, he had to admit, without sounding pretentious, that he was good at it. Not the best, but good. He had a keen eye for taking the perfect picture, for finding the perfect background. He had started landing small jobs for weddings, parties, and the like, but eventually, on a wedding he had worked at, he had been offered to participate on a bigger project by one of the attendees. Minghao quickly agreed and that project had led to another and that one to another and so on and so forth… and that was how he had ended up in Hawaii. He was working on a photography project for a local surfboard crafting company. They wanted him to take pictures of their brand-new launch of boards for the next season.

Minghao and the team he had joined were right now in the middle of Waimea beach, the hottest spot for surfers in Hawaii and, probably, the world. The white sand felt warm in between Minghao’s toes. In the middle of September, the surfing season had yet a month to start, but the calm waters would help the photographer thoroughly do his job. Minghao was not very fond of the sea, but he loved eating, and the money he was going to earn through this project was going to feed him during the hard months of autumn and winter when it was harder for weddings to occur and he had to survive with some little jobs for fashion companies preparing their spring season launch.

“Minghao!”

The guy turned around towards the source of the voice. His boss was looking for him, a young man in his 20’s, just a couple years older than him. Seungcheol lived there in Hawaii, and he had been his guide there, as well as the one who had gotten him the job.

“Yes, boss?”

“Change of plans with the models,” he announced.

Minghao then noticed the angry demeanor the man was wearing, as it greatly contrasted with his bright pink Hawaiian shirt with a pineapple print. The guy could not get any more cliché, but he was nice to Minghao, so he did not comment about it. 

“What happened?”

“They can’t make it,” Seungcheol sighed.

“Why?”

“Apparently,” Seungcheol said, “Today is going to be a little windier than expected, and their models are not surfers so…”

“Well, then… can we even take the pictures?”, Minghao asked, more worried about his camera and work being ruined than about the models.

“Yes!” Seungcheol assured him, “If we convince someone to model for us..., that is.”

“Yeah, that’s a problem,” Minghao had to admit.

“So, we thought we could ask actual surfers to model our boards?”, Seungcheol tone went up at the end.

It was obvious he was asking for Minghao’s opinion. The photographer was not happy working with non-professionals. They did not know how to pose and were awkward in front of the camera. Truthfully, working with them was going to be a pain in the ass, but Minghao was going to get paid any way, so he ended up agreeing.

“Let’s hunt them, then,” Seungcheol flashed his gums.

Minghao looked around him, trying to find people who fitted the profile they were looking for: good looking surfers. There were not many surfers around as the water was calm for now, so Minghao felt like the task Seungcheol had left to him was going to take longer to fulfill than expected. However, his boss quickly grabbed his attention towards the road that led to Waimea beach.

“Over there,” Seungcheol pointed with his head.

They watched as a van with some surf boards secured on top parked on the road nearby the beach. A tan, brown haired guy stepped out from the driver’s seat and stared at the sea. Even from far away, Minghao could tell the guy was handsome, his body built by, more likely, swimming against the sea currents. A couple more guys came out the van, but Minghao had his eyes fixed on the driver. Any photographer would have agreed with him that he had the perfect face. But, of course, Minghao’s fascination was subjective as well.

“Should we try asking them?” Seungcheol proposed.

Minghao gulped down, nervous at the thought of approaching strangers, handsome ones at that.

“Sure.”

He followed Seungcheol’s pace that directly led him to the surfers, who were know struggling to get their own boards down.

“Chan, you gotta push from there!”

“I underperform when you shout at me!”

“Hello, guys!” Seungcheol happily greeted them.

The surfers stopped their bickering and stared Minghao’s boss up and down.

“You need something?” a black-haired guy stepped forward.

“Actually, yes,” Seungcheol smiled, “Are you free this morning?”

※

Minghao was surprised Seungcheol had actually managed to convince the surfers to model for his brand. Even more, to make them call some other friends so that they had enough models for the new boards. He supposed it was because Seungcheol’s mature aura. It made people trust him, and perhaps it was what had brought Minghao all the way from Seoul to Hawaii just for a quick photoshoot. Minghao was now readying his camera settings, fighting with it to get the lighting right as Seungcheol got help from the guys to bring the boards to the shore. They had managed to get six guys in the end. The first three they had approached: Jun, Chan and Jeonghan, and their friends: Vernon, Seokmin and Soonyoung. Now seen from up close, Minghao was convinced Jun, the driver, was an actual Greek god. Or at least, he had been gifted with the appearance of one: a tall nose, high cheekbones and sharp jawline made him look like an actual model. As for his friends, they were more than average looking, and Seungcheol could not help but bounce with excitement, thinking that, in the end, his launch would not be ruined because of the models cancelling last minute. Minghao was not so positive as they were not working with professionals, but he had quickly changed his perspective about the project. These guys were surfers after all, so he would made them do just that: ride the waves. The wind had slowly become stronger as they finished the preparations, and even just a breeze in Waimea beach meant good waves.

“You ready?” Seungcheol’s secretary, Seungkwan, had approached Minghao to check on him.

“Yes, tell them to get in the water,” Minghao hanged his camera on his neck.

“Okay, Joshua is in the jet ski, you can ride with him,” Seungkwan informed him.

“Is it safe?” Minghao asked Seungkwan.

“It should be,” Seungkwan patted him on the shoulder and guided him towards Seungcheol’s partner, a blonde guy with a huge smile and a permit to drive jet skis.

“Have you ever ridden a jet ski?” was the first thing Joshua asked him as he handed him a life jacket.

“No, never.”

“This is gonna be fun, then,” Joshua’s smile grew wider.

Minghao was afraid Joshua’s concept of having fun was a little different than his. Regardless, he got on the jet ski, holding onto Joshua’s waist for dear life as the guy sped up to reach where their newbie models were. Seungcheol was on another board, checking some details with them.

“We are here,” Joshua announced.

“Perfect, shall we start?” Seungcheol asked to Minghao.

As a response, Minghao raised his camera and let the click reply for him.

“Let’s go for a fun and natural photoshoot,” Minghao said.

“You heard him, guys,” Seungcheol smiled, “Let’s ride some waves.”

Minghao looked through the camera lens and started capturing the surfers while trying to remain as still as possible on the unstable jet ski. He took pictures as the skilled guys swam and tried to get on top of the waves in an angle that would show Seungcheol’s boards. Minghao was impressed, knowing that an average model would not look as awkward in front of the camera, but could definitely not do that. As time went by and the wind grew stronger, the waves became larger and made Minghao’s task a little harder, but he held onto Joshua and tried to capture the mesmerizing view the surfers were offering him.

“Should we go back to the shore?” Joshua asked worriedly as the waves pushed the jet ski.

“In five minutes, I need to capture this,” Minghao was invested by now.

He knew the moment was coming, the perfect photo was going to appear right in front of his eyes, ready to be taken. As he lifted his camera once again to take a picture of Soonyoung who was currently getting up on his board to ride a wave, a sudden strong current shook the jet ski, throwing Minghao overboard into the water. Coldness hit him on the lungs, but before he could think about how to get out of there, a force tugged from his life jacket, pulling him up. Minghao gasped for air as he struggled to grab onto something. Another pull and he was on top of a board, sitting comfortably in front of the living statue that Jun was.

“Are you okay?” he softly asked him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Minghao assured him while pushing his wet hair back.

“Minghao!” Seungcheol swam on his board towards him with a worried look on his face, “You okay?”

“Yes, boss, don’t worry.”

“And the camera?” Seungcheol insisted.

“It’s waterproof.”

Seungcheol sighed in relief. Minghao checked the camera just in case, but it was working just fine. As he looked through its lens to check everything was fine, he saw it: the perfect picture. He felt a rush of adrenaline running up and down his body, giving him the chills. He tilted his camera to put it in a vertical position and clicked the button. Minghao stared into the screen at the picture he had just taken. Jun’s beautiful profile had been captured as his wet hair rested on his forehead, giving him huge Clark Kent vibes. With his hands placed on the sides of the board, Seungcheol’s brand logo was perfectly visible in between his legs as they floated on top of the board, the sea surrounding them.

“I think we are done,” Seungcheol announced.

Minghao rose his head as he heard Joshua’s jet ski’s motor approaching.

“Let’s go back before you take another dip,” Joshua extended his hand towards Minghao to help him get back on behind him.

Jun gave him a soft push to help him off the surfboard.

“Thanks,” Minghao told him.

“No problem,” Jun smiled at him.

A couple minutes later, Minghao was once again feeling precious land under his feet. Without even letting Seungkwan place a towel on top of his shoulders to help him dry, he hurried to the improvised office they had set up with a couple tables and chairs for them to place the equipment and opened his laptop. Minghao connected the camera to it in a rush. He needed to take a better look at that last picture of Jun on the board. As it popped on the screen, Seungkwan had already catched up behind him.

“Minghao, please! Take the towel or you’ll catch a cold…,” he reprimanded him before staring at the screen, “Wow,” Seungkwan was impressed, “Did you take that?”

“Yep,” Minghao felt proud of himself.

He still had to select and edit the photos he had taken today, but Minghao already had a good feeling about the photoshoot. Shifting the approach to a more fun and natural one, had been key to exploit his assets, which were a bunch of happy surfers comfortably doing their thing. He believed that with good promotion, Seungcheol’s new launch will grow in popularity and get him some new clients. Which would hopefully mean more revenue for Minghao himself.

“Minghao…,” Seungcheol called out for him.

Minghao stopped staring at Jun’s picture and made eye contact with his boss. “Hm?”

“You up for dinner tonight? These guys won’t accept payment if it is not shaped like beer and skewers.”

“What? But they did an amazing job,” Minghao praised them.

“Yeah, but it didn’t feel like a job at all,” one of them, Jeonghan, appeared from behind Seungcheol, drying his hair with a towel.

“That’s right!” “We were just having fun.”

“You just happened to be taking pictures of us while we surfed as we were planning to,” Jun shrugged.

He had suddenly appeared besides Minghao and was staring at the laptop screen, impressed at the sight as if he did not see himself in the mirror every day. “Really cool ones at that.”

“I feel like we should be the ones paying you actually…”

“Seokmin, don’t get too ahead of yourself…”

“So, yeah. Dinner tonight?” Seungcheol had completely given up on the surfers.

“Sure, sounds nice,” Minghao agreed.

“It’s a deal then,” Seungcheol smiled.

“But I still want to get paid with actual money,” Minghao raised an eyebrow jokingly.

“Don’t worry,” Seungcheol chuckled and placed his arm around Minghao’s shoulders, “I’ll be sending a check right to you before you go back to Seoul.”

“Sounds great!” Minghao nodded, “Now I’ll be heading back to the hotel until dinner time since the editing is not going to get done itself.”

“Okay, we’ll see you later, then. Seungkwan will send you the details of dinner tonight.”

“Great! See you then.”

“See you.”

Minghao closed his laptop and got all his belongings before heading towards the road nearby Waimea beach, where he had parked the car he had rented for the week. It was more convenient for him and besides, this way he could do some sight-seeing and act like a tourist after he finished his job there. Minghao estimated that editing the pictures would take him around two weeks, but for that, he needed to first select the best pictures, and he wanted to start that very same afternoon as he had the photoshoot fresh in his mind. He got in the car and looked over to the beach, his eyes fixated on one person only. Minghao watched as Jun run his fingers through his wet hair and then waved goodbye at Minghao. Feeling the blood rushing to his face, he made a quick gesture towards the guy and drove off in a panic.

※

Minghao got out of the car not without grabbing the wine bottle he had bought for today’s dinner. He did not want to show at his boss’ house empty handed, even if Seungcheol had insisted he would take care of buying everything he needed for the barbecue they were going to hold in his backyard. When Joshua finally opened the front door for him, he was met with the distinct smell of meat grilling alongside some vegetables.

“We were waiting for you,” Joshua informed him.

“Sorry, I was choosing the wine,” Minghao excused himself.

“You didn’t have to,” Joshua smiled and took a look at the wine bottle, “But I’m glad you did, I am not very fond of beer myself.”

“Then this one is for us,” Minghao snickered.

“I’ll get the fancy cups,” Joshua ran towards where Minghao believed the kitchen to be, “You can head to the backyard!”

Minghao followed the smell and the noise coming inside the house from where everyone was apparently having the time of their life. Seungcheol was nearby the grill, cooking the meat.

“Minghao!” he greeted him, “What took you so long? These guys are like monsters! If you came five minutes later, there wouldn’t be any meat left.”

“Good thing I saved a plate for you,” Seungkwan rushed to hand him a plate filled with tender beef already cut into delicious looking bite-sized pieces.

“Thank you, Seungkwan,” Minghao grabbed the plate, ready to protect the precious food from any nearby predators.

“And here’s your wine,” Joshua handed him a mug that read ‘ _meow_ therfucker’ accompanied by a picture of a funny-looking poorly drawn cat.

“I get why these are the fancy cups,” Minghao felt a sudden wave of utter respect for Joshua.

“Cheers,” Joshua lifted his own cup that read ‘best ass award’ and headed to Seungcheol’s side.

When he turned around, Minghao had to agree Joshua did have a great ass. Then he followed Seungkwan to the table where everyone was munching and gulping down beer.

“Our photographer!” Soonyoung finally noticed him, “Did you capture my good angles?”

“What good angles?” Chan joked.

“Don’t worry, I made sure to pick the best pictures,” Minghao took a seat in between Vernon and Seokmin, where he felt he would be the safest.

“Can we see them?” Jeonghan asked.

“When Seungcheol launches his new line,” Seungkwan informed them.

“When would that be?”

“Right before the surfing season starts,” Seungkwan shrugged and drank from his beer.

“Ah, man, that’s in like a month,” Soonyoung complained.

“Will you be coming back?” Seungkwan wanted to know.

“We would love to,” Seokmin spoke while munching on some meat, “But we have work.”

“Yep, every year we spare some time to come surf to Waimea together,” Vernon said.

“It’s a tradition already,” Jun smiled.

“Really?” Minghao drank from his fancy cup.

“We’ve been doing this since we met,” Jeonghan explained, “Every year around September, before the season starts, we come here and surf.”

“That’s cute, actually,” Seungkwan had to admit.

“Well, it’s our way of keeping the friendship alive,” Chan shrugged, “We are all very busy with our daily lifes, and we all live in different places, so we barely get to meet.”

“How did you meet in the first place?” Minghao was curious.

“The five of us met in college, Chan we met him here in Oahu,” Jeonghan replied.

Right that moment, Seungcheol placed some more meat on the table and finally sat down. “If you want some more, cook it yourselves. I am tired.”

“Thank you, boss!” “Yeah, thank you, Seungcheol!” “Everything’s delicious!”

Minghao continued munching and drinking to his heart content, having fun while getting to know the colorful bunch he had had the pleasure to work with. Jeonghan was some type of lawyer of a major firm in Seoul Minghao remembered hearing about in the news. Seokmin was a preschool teacher who worked at a kindergarten in Seoul. If the golden ring that rested on his left hand was not enough to tell that Seokmin’s warm smile was a crucial part of someone’s life, he made sure everyone knew that he loved his husband, Jaehyun, who was the owner of a small restaurant that Minghao had been more than invited to visit. Soonyoung was some sort of vlogger that travelled around the world, looking for the best spots to practice some dangerous sports. Something in his eyes told Minghao he would not want to mess with him. The fierceness of a tiger seemed to rest inside the guy’s fit body, ready to jump into a new adventure the second after it presented itself. Vernon was a very relaxed guy, his personality highly contrasting to that of his friends. He was spacing out most of the time, only coming back to laugh at whatever nonsense they were drunk babbling. However, Minghao could tell how smart the guy was from the way his eyes sparkled as he silently observed the people around him, as well as how everyone respected him as they stared at him the few times he spoke. As for Chan, the youngest of the bunch, Minghao could tell how everyone cared for him, even if they tried to pick on him to the best of their abilities, love was exuding from the way they treated him. Chan and Vernon worked abroad, in the States. Vernon worked as a freelance translator and interpreter in Chicago and Chan worked in some kind of dance studio, teaching little kids how to move their hips.

However, there was one of them that had grabbed Minghao’s attention. Not only because of his looks, but because of his personality. Jun was sitting in the corner, drinking, and staring at his friends with utter devotion in his eyes. He did not talk much, but whenever he did, he stirred laughter from everyone sitting at the table, even Minghao. The guy had a way with words, and his quick wit was definitely a weapon he knew how to use: sparsely but effectively. He had not spoken much about himself, but from what Minghao had discovered from the bits his friend had been offering him. Jun had been born in China, but studied abroad in Seoul, at the same university as everyone else, and that was how they had met. His job was not clear, but he worked for a company. Maybe he was some sort of secretary? Whatever his role in the business was, Minghao could tell he was someone with a higher position. Or so his Gucci sunglasses, resting folded on his shirt, told Minghao. The guy had some good taste in fashion, so there was a possibility he could work in the industry. Or maybe he just seemed to have said good taste because of how unbelievably handsome he was. He had parted his brown hair in the middle, revealing his forehead, and properly showing a face Minghao could not stop staring at.

As time passed and alcohol started kicking in, everyone started to get a little wilder. Soonyoung insisted on how good of an idea would be to swim naked at the sea, and Chan and Vernon were trying to convince him against it. Seungkwan was dozing off on his chair and Seokmin had gone inside some time ago to videocall his husband since he missed him. Minghao knew he had to drive back to the hotel, so he was not very drunk himself. He felt it was time to go back when Soonyoung insisted he joined him on his plan.

“Joshua,” he tried to grab the man’s attention, “Could I have some water?”

“It’s in the fridge, you can get it yourself,” Joshua informed him before turning his attention back to the conversation, or flirting contest, he was having with Seungcheol and Jeonghan.

Minghao stood up and stepped inside the house, looking for the kitchen. He could hear Seokmin’s sobs in the living room as he told his partner about how much he missed him, even if he was coming back to him in less than a week. Minghao thought to himself that love was indeed a strange thing. Everyone had their way of showing and sharing it. There were so many different expressions of it, but at its core, the feeling was always the same for everyone.

It took Minghao a couple seconds to locate the kitchen as the house was completely dark, but when he did, he was surprised to see he was not alone in there. When he turned the lights on, he saw Jun sitting at the kitchen island, his head almost resting on the counter. Minghao would be lying if his presence there, sitting in the dark, did not scare the shit out of him, but he managed to keep his composure.

“Jun,” he called the other’s name, “Are you okay?”

After all, if the guy were here by himself, how could he be okay? Jun slowly lifted his face, which was as red as a stop sign. Minghao realized he was completely drunk, to the point he seemed as if he was going to drop to the floor and just sleep there.

“I’ll get you some water,” Minghao offered while heading towards the fridge.

He frantically looked for some glasses to pour the water in, and when he found them, he served the both of them some fresh water.

“Drink it,” Minghao ordered Jun, who proceeded to gulp it down as if it were some sort of tequila shot.

“Thanks,” Jun finally spoke.

Minghao took a seat by his side. “Feeling better?”

“Now that I see you, yeah, definitely,” Jun pointed his glass towards Minghao, asking for more water.

When Minghao poured him some more of the transparent liquid, only then did he process the words Jun had spoken. Was he flirting? Minghao opted to ignore him just in case it was his imagination.

“Did you drink a lot?” he asked.

“I was trying to muster up the courage to approach you,” Jun informed him, “And alcohol helps.”

Minghao was now sure that it was not his imagination.

He chuckled awkwardly and drank from his own glass of water nervously. “You could have just said ‘hello’.”

“Not that kind of approach,” Jun replied.

Minghao did not know how to flirt, and not even alcohol helped him in that case. Mingyu always said he was a lost cause when it came to love. Like machines, people also were difficult for Minghao to manage.

“What kind of approach were you thinking about, then?” Minghao nervously spoke.

As a response, Jun got the closest he could to Minghao’s face. “What do you think, you pretty fairy?”

Minghao felt blood rushing to his face. Now, the two of them were as red a stop sign. Just for two very different reasons.

“I’m not a fairy…,” Minghao whispered, afraid to break the moment.

Jun throwed his head back laughing. “I know.”

“But I’m pretty sure you could show me something magical,” his voice was low and seductive as his hands caressed Minghao’s lips.

Minghao’s head was spinning. Jun definitely wanted something out of him. And it was not as if Minghao did not want to give it to him and his godlike face, he had never had a one-night stand, but God knew he would love to experience one. Even more if it was with a such a handsome person.

Without even noticing himself, Minghao was slowly leaning in for a kiss, his eyes fixated on Jun’s lips. However, as they got closer, Jun placed a finger on Minghao’s own lips, stopping him.

“Wait,” Jun whispered.

Then Minghao heard it. Footsteps. Someone was coming in. A second later, Seungkwan was at the door frame, his face visibly showing his discomfort.

“Can any of you get me out of here?” he asked.

“Why? What happened?” Minghao wanted to know.

Seungkwan sighed and took a seat by the kitchen island as well. “You know what’s worse than working for a couple? Working for a couple with an open relationship.”

“What do you mean?” Minghao did not understand.

“Seungcheol and Joshua!” Seungkwan continued complaining, “Those guys, they are unbelievable!”

“Oh…,” realization dawned on Minghao.

“I’m all up for couples having sex with other people and having fun if it’s consensual,” Seungkwan rambled on, “But why must my boss be like that? They just went upstairs and told everyone to either leave or _join_ them…”

Seungkwan sighed. “So, can you take me home?”

“Sure,” Minghao quickly accepted.

“Then, what about me?” Jun purred, “Should I leave or join them?”

Minghao’s head was buzzing, hundreds of thoughts running through it in a second.

“I can drive you home as well,” Minghao’s voice came out higher than usual.

“Neat,” Jun smirked.

Minghao wanted to scream while Seungkwan looked at them, one of his eyebrows arched. However, even if it was clearly showing on his eyes how badly he wanted to ask further about the word exchange he had just witnessed, he was smart enough not to. After all, he was tired, drunk, and already traumatized enough by his bosses. Seungkwan would not risk a ride home to satiate his curiosity, so he remained there in complete silence, looking at Jun and Minghao as if he were witnessing a tennis match with a very intense rally. Minghao was glad Seungkwan did not want to talk about whatever was happening between him and Jun, because he did not know what would have been appropriate to reply. Jun had only been flirtatious for a short while, so maybe Minghao was just overthinking. But they almost kissed, didn’t they?

Seungkwan hawked and stopped Minghao’s train of thought on its tracks. “Shall we go then?”

“Yes!” Minghao shouted, scaring Seungkwan.

“Are you sober?” Seungkwan asked.

“I’m fresh, don’t worry,” Minghao assured him.

“Great, because I don’t think neither of us could take your place,” Jun chuckled and swayed while standing up. Minghao grabbed onto him, helping him keep his balance. “Thanks,” Jun smiled softly.

“You want to lean on me?” Minghao offered.

“I would prefer doing another thing with you, but that’s a great start,” Jun bluntly replied.

Minghao could feel his face heating up as Seungkwan’s stare pierced through him like daggers, but he opted to ignore him, even if the task were difficult. He did not want to think about what might be going through the secretary’s mind, but Minghao was sure he had now been categorized in Seungkwan’s mind in a close position to that of Seungcheol and Joshua. They walked in a very uncomfortable silence towards the house’s entrance door and from there to the car. The only other thing Seungkwan said during the short trip to his house was his address and then a quick goodbye. The moment Minghao started the car once again, Jun laughed almost maniacally, startling him.

“That was so uncomfortable!” Jun finally said.

“My palms are super sweaty,” Minghao adjusted his hands on the steering wheel.

“Why? You nervous?”

Minghao could feel Jun’s hand resting on his tight and gulped down.

“You don’t want me to kill us both, right?” Minghao’s voice showed he was, indeed, very nervous.

“Stop the car, then.”

Minghao took his eyes apart from the road for a second to look at Jun. With the dim moonlight coming through the car’s window, he looked as handsome as ever as the buildings in the street casted shadows on his face. Minghao almost stopped the car right that instant to kiss him. And he could. What was stopping him? The streets were empty, it was almost 5 AM and none would bother them. Before he actually realized, he had already moved his car to the side of the road to park. A second after the soft purring of the car’s engine had stopped and before Minghao could process what was happening, Jun was already all over him.

His lips were dry and tasted like rum, but Minghao did not care one bit. He wondered if that was how it felt to kiss a pirate. The next thought was that that was a very stupid thing to think while a hot guy was kissing you. It was not the right time to be thinking about Orlando Bloom. So, he focused all his attention on Jun and really got into the kiss, pulling the other as close as the steering wheel allowed him. They had not even unfastened their seatbelts. Safety was always first after all. Jun grabbed Minghao by the nape with one hand and with the other he caressed his cheeks. All the while, Minghao did not know where to even put his hands, so he just left them on Jun’s waist. He could tell Jun was turned on, his excitement probably highly increased by the alcohol he had drunk, by the way he was desperately kissing him as if he was going to pull away or reject him any second now. However, he was the one to pull away.

Jun spoke in between breaths against Minghao’s mouth. “Can we go to your house _now_?”

“I have to respect driving regulations,” Minghao joked, making Jun chuckle.

“Okay, then, let’s safely go to your house.”

“GPS says it’s ten minutes away.”

“Make it nine.”

Minghao gulped down and started the car. For Jun, he would make it in eight.

※

The second Minghao opened his hotel room, Jun pushed him against the door. Minghao fought to unbutton the other’s shirt while kissing him, but Jun’s hands running all over his body were not helping him at all. Everywhere he touched, he started a fire within Minghao. As Jun moved his way from Minghao’s mouth to his neck and collarbones, kissing and biting, leaving marks on Minghao’s skin, he could feel how his heart rate increased. Minghao could barely breath, and Jun kissed him mercilessly regardless. Finally, Jun’s shirt ended up on the room’s floor, right by the door. They would worry about it tomorrow morning.

Minghao took the chance to get a grip on the situation and started guiding Jun to the bed with his kisses, making him walk backwards towards it. A moment later, Jun was sitting on the bed while Minghao sat on top of him, kissing him deeply while pulling his hair. Jun’s hands were feverishly moving under Minghao’s t-shirt, caressing his bare skin, and sending shivers down his spine. With every shiver, Minghao moaned a little, driving Jun to the edge. In a second, the roles reversed, and it was time for Jun to lay on top of Minghao, running his fingers through his stomach instead. Jun’s muscles were tight under his soft and beautifully tanned skin, as Minghao felt them while he held onto his arms while they intertwined their tongues.

The next thing he noticed was Jun’s hand slowly moving down. Minghao knew where it was heading, but, of course, he did not do anything to stop him. He wanted it. He wanted Jun. However, he had underestimated his blister and its ability to process alcohol… He needed to pee.

“Jun,” he said the other’s name.

“Hm?” the other continued kissing Minghao’s neck.

“I need to pee.”

Jun chuckled and moved to the side, freeing Minghao. “I’ll be here.”

Minghao got up and rushed to the bathroom to alleviate himself. On his way to the toilet, he saw his own reflection in the mirror and almost did not recognize himself: his brown hair for which he deeply cared for to keep it long was a mess, and he had red marks, that tomorrow would become bruises, all over his neck down to the neckline of the t shirt he was wearing. Regardless, that very different version of himself that stared right back at him in the mirror, seemed to be happy. Minghao inhaled and proceeded to use the restroom as he thought about how alive he was feeling right that instant.

However, as he came out the bathroom and encountered a situation that had nothing to do to with what he had left behind seconds ago, his bubble burst and all the excitement he was feeling completely disappeared. Jun was soundly sleeping on the bed. Minghao tried softly calling out his name to no avail: the guy had passed out. He sighed and tried to accommodate himself on the bed as well, after all, he had to sleep somewhere too. He was just expecting to sleep after having some _fun_.

As he lay on the bed, still wide awake with his clothes on and a snoring Jun by his side, Minghao stared at the ceiling. His mind wondering if he would ever get to have something go completely smoothly for him.

※

Minghao did not know what time it was, he just knew the sun was high up in the sky, and he was alone in the bed, a note on the bedside table that read ‘ _call me’_ and what he presumed was Jun’s phone number. Jun had left in the early morning, leaving the smell of alcohol behind. Minghao’s room was utter chaos, and he did not want to fix it, nor did he want to call Jun. The guy had left him hanging last night, now he left while he was still asleep and wanted him to make the next move? Minghao would be lying if he said he did not want to meet him, but he had some pride of his own as well. He would make Jun wait. After all, he had to work a little bit more. He ordered breakfast to be delivered on the bedroom and turned on his laptop. As he skimmed through the photoshoot pictures, his heart trembled a little every time Jun’s face appeared on one of them. Truth be told, everyone looked amazing on the boards, a smile drawn on their faces as they rode the waves as they pleased. Minghao knew these guys could not pull off the formal photoshoot they had originally planned, but after a quick change of plans for the best, or so Minghao believed, they had made it a huge success. Now, what was left for Minghao was selecting some pictures, edit them and send them to Seungcheol so that he could choose the ones he saw fit for promoting his brand. After he had some iced coffee, Minghao was more than ready to start.

※

His stomach reminded him it had been too long since he last ate. This morning breakfast had been more than digested, and he needed to eat something. After taking a quick shower, Minghao went out the hotel to grab something. Without thinking too much, he had shoved Jun’s note on his pants’ pocket. He was still contemplating on the idea of whether to call him or not. He did want to, but he was not about to give chances to what could have been a one-night stand. Regardless, he could still have some fun while he was on Hawaii… Or just forget about it and go on with his life forever wondering how good Jun would have been at sex. Perhaps, he was just giving too much thought to such a simple matter. He wondered what Mingyu would tell him to do. Luckily, he did not have to wonder too much. Minghao grabbed his phone and dialed his number as he sat down on a restaurant’s terrace.

“Minghao!” Mingyu’s cheerful voice quickly came through the speaker.

“Hi.”

“How’s Hawaii? You finished work?”

“Yeah, the photoshoot was yesterday. And Hawaii is amazing, I’ll show you some of the pictures I took when I come back,” Minghao’s mood had completely changed just by hearing his friend’s voice.

“Haaa… I’m so jealous! You should have taken me with you!” Mingyu complained.

“You had to work,” Minghao reminded him.

“Yep, my superior had already asked for some free days, so I couldn’t join you,” Mingyu sighed.

“We can come together next time.”

“Next time?”

“Well, the photoshoot was a complete success, so maybe Seungcheol will call me for the next launch as well…”

“Really? That’s amazing! You did great,” Mingyu was proud of Minghao’s achievements.

“Thanks,” Minghao smiled softly, “It didn’t start well, but it ended up amazing.”

“Why? What happened?” Mingyu’s curiosity had been piqued.

“Well, the models cancelled on us last minute,” Minghao explained, “So, we had to look for some surfers…”

“What?! Wow. That’s so unprofessional…”

“I know…,” Minghao sighed, “But it was for the best, we changed plans and actually had the guys surf. The pictures turned out beautiful.”

“Were the guys handsome?” Mingyu asked.

“Actually…”

“I knew it, you bitch! You only call me when there are dick problems! What happened now? Do I have to kill someone? Tell me everything! _Now_!” Mingyu’s voice raised in a second.

Minghao proceeded to narrate the events of the previous night to his best friend, as detailed as he remembered them, as he listened in complete silence except for some funny sounding noises he made from time to time that assured Minghao he was still at the other side of the line.

“Call him,” was the conclusion Mingyu reached.

“But…,” Minghao tried to intervene.

“That was not a suggestion, Xu Minghao.”

Minghao sighed. “I hate you.”

“You don’t. You actually called me because you wanted someone to blame other than yourself if something goes wrong,” Mingyu exposed him, “Blame me, then! But get that dick.”

Minghao did not reply immediately, instead he mindlessly played with the food he had ordered, thinking about Jun and what he should do.

“I’m about to lose my pride for dick,” Minghao muttered.

“Dude, _who cares_?” Mingyu said, “You are literally never gonna see this man again, so, who _fucking_ cares? Beg on your knees for his glorious dick for all I care, I won’t shame you. Live a little, dude. Take this chance. Have that one-night stand. You’ll regret your whole life if you don’t.”

“Maybe I’ll regret it more if I do,” Minghao replied.

“Well, at least you had sex!” Mingyu insisted.

Minghao stayed silent.

“Call him,” Mingyu repeated before finally hanging up.

Minghao stared at his phone. Truth be told, Mingyu knew him all too well. Before he realized it, he was already dialing Jun’s number.

※

Minghao was driving to Lanikai Beach with the windows down, hoping that the breeze would calm his nerves. The sun was slowly going down, but there was still time until it definitely set. Perhaps, Jun had also taken that into account when he insisted on meeting in Lanikai around 6 PM, right before sunset. Minghao had no idea what the other had in mind for the evening, but he was both excited and panicking about it. The guy had apologized over the phone countless times for what happened two nights ago now. Minghao forgave him, even if Jun actually did not do anything wrong. He did not owe Minghao anything after all. Jun did not have to wake him up with breakfast in bed and Minghao was not expecting him to do so. It had been just a one-night stand that did not go as planned, Minghao was not about to dwell over it. Or at least that was what he thought now, after a whole day had passed. Yesterday, he had to admit he had been a little bit overdramatic. But that was his past self. Now, he was ready to have fun, and hopefully finish what they had started.

Lanikai Beach was almost one hour away from Waimea, so he basically had to go through the whole of Oahu island to arrive at the destination they had settled for. He took the chance to enjoy the view. Minghao preferred taking pictures of people instead of the landscape, but he had to admit Oahu was begging to be photographed. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, with both green and rocky landscapes, Oahu was the closest Minghao had ever been to paradise. It had nothing to do with the bustling life of Seoul, a concrete jungle rather planned for cars than for people, with skyscrapers so high they could touch the sky. Here in Oahu, Minghao was the one who felt like he could touch the clear and blue sky.

The wind running through his hair, the smell of the sea dancing on his nostrils… He could tell why people like Seungcheol would choose to live here. Give up their normal everyday lifes for the calmness of Hawaii. Minghao wished he could be like that too, but his life was back there in Seoul. How could he start from scratch? He did not even like the sea. It was great for a couple weeks a year, but definitely not made for him. As much as he loathed many aspects of living in Seoul, he loved himself a city that never sleeps. He loved feeling like a nobody in a big city, none looking at him twice when he walked around. The calmness of his hometown was the reason why he left China on the first place.

A highway sign and his GPS informed him he was arriving to Lanikai. Jun had told him he could not go all the way to the beach by car, so, as soon as he found a spot, he stopped the car and trusted his legs to walk him there. Luckily, the beach was not too far away, so he walked the distance, walking faster as his excitement for the evening grew bigger. After around ten minutes, he had arrived to Lanikai. As the beach was at the east of Oahu, he could not see the sun setting, but he did saw the sky changing colors to pink and blue. Not far away from the shore, some boulders casted their shadows on the water. Lanikai beach was considered as the most beautiful of Oahu for a reason after all. The white sand crunched under Minghao’s slippers as he walked through the bay, searching for Jun. He saw him in the distance, standing still while looking at the ocean, the calm waves wetting his feet. Minghao was awe struck once again by the other’s figure as the wind played with his hair. When he closed the distance between them, he started to notice what Jun had prepared: a mat lay on the sand, a wine bottle and some sandwiches waiting to be eaten.

“A picnic?” Minghao said as a greeting.

Jun turned around with a huge smile on his face. “My resources were a little limited, sorry.”

“No, I think this is amazing,” Minghao truly thought Jun had had a great idea.

“Wanna take a seat?” Jun offered.

As a response, Minghao landed with his knees on the soft mat and proceeded to make himself comfortable. Then he studied the wine bottle. It was white wine, but he did not recognize the brand.

“I don’t know much about wine, so I trusted the guy at the shop,” Jun informed him as he took a seat as well.

“Let’s open it and try it, then,” Minghao handed Jun the bottle.

Jun struggled for some time, but he finally managed to open it. “Sorry, I don’t have any fancy cups,” he joked as he poured the liquid into some plastic glasses.

“Doesn’t matter,” Minghao grabbed the glass Jun offered him and tasted the wine, “It’s awful.”

Jun tasted it as well and made a very weird face that made Minghao laugh. “It is.”

“Well, the wine is bad, but the company is nice,” Minghao raised his glass towards Jun.

“Cheers to that,” Jun put their glasses together.

“So…,” Minghao tried to start some conversation after giving another chance to the wine that did not change his opinion on it, “What do you do for a living?”

※

Minghao’s stomach hurt from laughing so much. Jun and he were lying on top of the mat, looking up to the sky and enjoying the night view. Minghao was having a wonderful time as they drank the awful white wine and ate the sandwiches Jun had prepared. It was probably the shabbiest date Minghao had ever experienced, but also the funniest one. Jun was a very cheerful person, unafraid of making fun of himself, and Minghao liked that part of him. Meeting him sober, he was even more charming and nice. After all, he had already done the scariest part: kissing Minghao. Now, the order reversed, they were getting to know each other.

“I can’t believe I couldn’t tell you were Chinese,” Jun said for the eleventh time.

“You were too drunk,” Minghao chuckled.

“I was not drunk at Waimea beach,” he pointed.

“Thank God, otherwise I would have drowned.”

“You really like photography, don’t you?” Jun asked.

“I guess I do,” Minghao shrugged, “At least I’m good at it.”

“I really want to see the pictures already…”

“You shall wait, little grasshopper,” Minghao joked.

Jun let out a soft laugh. “I won’t hack your laptop, don’t worry.”

“Thanks.”

They stayed in silenced for a while. Minghao closed his eyes to enjoy the sound of the waves hitting the shore. It calmed his mind and his soul. He could get used to hearing that sound.

“It’s so relaxing,” he muttered.

“Hm?”

“The sea.”

“It’s a lullaby, the sea sings for the moon.”

“That’s beautiful.”

Jun sat down and looked around, startling Minghao.

“What are you looking for?” he asked him.

“A shell,” Jun replied.

“A shell?”

“A banded tulip seashell.”

“A what?” Minghao sat down as well to get a better view of what Jun was doing.

The guy was looking through the sand, eagerly searching for something.

“Found one!” he finally smiled and turned towards Minghao.

“What were you looking for?” Minghao asked again.

“A banded tulip seashell. The ones that crabs use,” he explained as he showed it to Minghao.

Minghao took a good look at it. It was an average sized shell a hermit crab must have abandoned long ago.

“What about it?” Minghao was curious.

“Maybe this one is too small, but seashells carry the waves’ lullaby with them, so even if we are far away from the shore, we can listen to the song,” Jun placed the shell against Minghao’s ear.

Minghao closed his eyes to listen to it. It was faint, but he could definitely hear the soft murmur of the sea, singing its song to the moon.

“It’s beautiful,” Minghao whispered.

He did not open his eyes, even when he felt Jun coming closer. As he listened to the waves’ lullaby, Jun’s lips collapsed onto his. Minghao tasted the wine on Jun’s lips, and he realized it was not so bitter after all.

※

An alarm went off, startling Minghao who suddenly woke up against his will. At first, he was confused to see someone lying by his side on the hotel bed, but then he remembered Jun had stayed the night. And what that had meant. He felt embarrassed for a second, remembering the many things they had done last night. Mingyu would probably love to hear every little detail about them, but he was going to save this last image for himself: Jun peacefully sleeping right next to him, his arms surrounding him, and his face so calm you would have never guessed it could light up the way it did when he smiled. Minghao studied the mole on his upper lip, the one he had kissed multiple times over the course of two days.

“Good morning,” Jun’s voice was deep in the early morning.

“I forgot to turn off my alarm, sorry,” Minghao ran his fingers through the other’s hair.

“Let’s get back to sleep then,” Jun muttered and fell deeper into Minghao’s embrace.

“Sounds great.”

Minghao closed his eyes and fell into Morpheus’ arms once again.

The next time he woke up, Jun was gone. Another note left on his bedside table.

_Something urgent came up, gotta go. I’ll call you._

But he never called.

※

Seungcheol had invited Minghao over for lunch, so he was once again at his house. However, this time only him and Joshua were there.

“So, did you like Oahu?” Seungcheol asked.

Jun had not contacted him in three days, and his flight was tomorrow morning. He had tried calling him, but his phone was not available. He wondered what might have happened to him, and it was killing him inside. How could Jun disappear so nonchalantly, only leaving notes behind? Of course, he did not owe Minghao anything, but did the man do not have any manners whatsoever?

“It’s been nice, thank you for having me,” Minghao played with the food on his plate, not really hungry.

“Thank you for taking up our offer,” Joshua insisted.

“Well, a week in Hawaii was already tempting enough,” Minghao smiled.

“I’m glad you came,” Seungcheol said, “When will we receive the pictures?”

“I’ve been selecting and editing some already, so maybe… in around two weeks?” Minghao speculated.

“Great,” Joshua nodded.

“As long as we receive them before the surfing season starts…,” Seungcheol drank from his beer.

“Yes, of course,” Minghao assured him.

“And about your fees…,” Seungcheol continued, “Send me your details, and I’ll make the payment as soon as possible.”

“Perfect.”

The conversation went on as Seungcheol and Joshua talked about their previous lifes before coming to Hawaii. Minghao listened as attentively as he could, but his mind was somewhere else. Thinking about other things, specifically about another man. He could not get Jun out of his mind.

“It was lovely meeting you,” the time to say goodbye had finally arrived.

Minghao had to head back to his hotel and prepare his luggage.

“You always have a home here in Oahu,” Seungcheol smiled.

Suddenly, Joshua’s eyes widened, and he slapped his boyfriend on the arm, making him whine. “I almost forgot!”

“You had to hit me like that?!” Seungcheol complained as Joshua rushed inside the house.

Minghao was confused as to what Joshua might have forgotten, but he did not have to wait long for an answer. Joshua quickly came back carrying a little box with him.

“Jeonghan told me to give you this,” Joshua handed the little box to Minghao.

Minghao grabbed it, even more confused. “Jeonghan?”

“It’s from Jun,” Joshua explained.

Minghao did not need to hear more. He struggled to open the box as his eagerness made him clumsy, but he eventually managed to. What he saw inside almost made him bawl his eyes out. The most delicate silver pendant rested in the box, a silver seashell hanging from the necklace.

“Thank you,” Minghao muttered.

Then his eyes saw the little handwritten note on the box: _This way you can always remember that time we listened to the waves’ lullaby. Thank you for everything._ Jun’s name worked as a signature as if Minghao would not know it was from him. As if Minghao could forget. As if Jun was not his very own moon Minghao sang for.

He closed his eyes and transported himself back to Lanikai beach, he found himself once again gazing at the stars and laughing besides Jun. Minghao put the pendant around his neck. The metal was cold against his skin, but it felt great in the hot weather of Hawaii.

He felt the weight of the silver shell all the way to Seoul. Then his everyday worries took over his life. Minghao did not hear again from Jun. But he did not forget.

※

“Minghao! Minghao!!” Mingyu was trying to grab his friend’s attention to no avail, “You look as if you had just seen a ghost!”

They were grabbing some coffee in a popular cafeteria of Itaewon, but Minghao had still not tried his. His eyes were fixated on the other side of the room. Staring at one person. A person he had not seen in a very long time, and that he did not even expect to see.

Mingyu followed his gaze the moment he realized Minghao was staring at someone. “Someone you know?”

“Someone I knew,” Minghao corrected him.

‘ _For a very short but sweet while_.’

“You gonna greet them?” Mingyu asked.

“Maybe I shouldn’t.”

“Why do you think so?”

“He never picked up my calls,” Minghao unconsciously grabbed the pendant he gifted him.

“Wait… is he the guy from Oahu? The surfer?” Mingyu’s eyes were wide open.

“Jun…,” Minghao said his name.

Saying it out loud again after almost a year was weird. But it felt nice regardless.

“Let’s go,” Minghao was suddenly in a rush to escape the cafeteria.

“But we just arrived!” Mingyu complained.

“Let’s go,” he insisted and got up.

Mingyu followed suit after a loud groan. Minghao felt a pair of eyes watching him from afar, and the silver shell weight growing heavier as he walked through the cafeteria towards the door. Jun did not call out his name. Minghao was not expecting him to. But he knew he had seen him. Minghao knew he remembered. The time they listened to the waves’ lullaby was probably replaying on his mind as it was replaying on Minghao’s. He closed his eyes, and he was back in Lanikai. The time they had shared had been nice, but after all, it had just been a one-night stand that did not go as planned.

With determination, he walked through the cafeteria’s door, and Minghao continued his way through the streets of Itaewon, a smile drawn on his face. As if either of them could forget about the time they listened to the sweet song of the sea waves.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can always come scream at me on twitter (@jeonghxbit) or here in the comment section. Don't forget to leave some kudos before you leave.
> 
> Until we meet again xoxo.


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